


More Precious Than Me

by LadyCookieCupcake



Series: inktober [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Gender-neutral Reader, Good morgana, Injured Character, Inktober 2018, M/M, Maidservant Reader, Morgana is only mentioned, Protective Merlin, injured merlin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2019-08-09 14:17:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16451540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyCookieCupcake/pseuds/LadyCookieCupcake
Summary: Merlin is stupidly protective of those he cares for, even at the risk of danger to himself.





	More Precious Than Me

**Author's Note:**

> I've written maidservant but it can be changed because that's the only gender-specific thing here.
> 
> Title taken from one of Christopher Poindexter's [quotes](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/16/59/b7/1659b7af0303c26b8e1294d1e8670c4c.jpg).

You were going to kill him. You were going to kill him dead. You were going to kill him dead and then bring him back to life to  _kill him dead again!_

  Surely, even  _he_  knew jumping in front of a flying poisonous dagger was stupidly ridiculous and ridiculously dangerous, let alone doing so for  _you_. You weren't anything special, just another one of Lady Morgana’s maidservant. Merlin, however — he was special, in so many ways, in so many inexplicable ways. He deserved the light and luxury of a good life, of a life that didn't involve putting his life in danger for others.

  You just wished he listened to you and actually  _believed_  what you said. Maybe he would actually  _think_  about what he did, about his actions, the consequences of those actions, the worry and the sadness they brought those around him, those who cared.

  A harsh laugh escaped you before you could stop it. Of course, he wouldn't. He was a good man and unfortunately, that meant he didn't think if it meant others were safe.

  Huffing, you rubbed a hand over your face and over your head, only to wince as your fingers caught a knot.

  You worked the knot out of your hair distractedly as you leaned against the wall. The stone was cold, icy almost but it brought enough of a distraction for the thoughts to disappear — for all of a second before the door opened, and you looked up to see Gaius step out.

  He shook his head at the fearful expression you didn't bother hiding, and you sighed in relief, your shoulders slumping.

 He was fine. He was all right.

  He was safe and alive and would live another day for you to slap him upside the head and reprimand him for doing stupidly dangerous things. He would ignore him and continue doing it — for you, for Arthur, for Camelot, for those he loves — but he'd be alive to do so, and right now, suddenly and anticipated, it was all that mattered. Merlin was safe enough to be annoying.

  “Can I see him?” You asked, pushing yourself off the wall and stepping closer to his room without waiting for an answer.

  Gains seemed to hesitate and for a split second, you panicked. Maybe he wasn't all right, maybe Gaius was lying and Merlin was really dying.

  Then the physician sighed and nodded but stopped you with a hand held up, in front of you.

 “But please, be careful. He is still recovering.”

  You nodded, already walking in and over to Merlin’s rooms. The door was closed and you hesitated for a second, unsure suddenly whether you wanted to see him like this. You saw when he'd been hit, the blood everywhere, the quickly-blackening skin. You saw the poison quickly take hold. That image would never leave your mind.

 But you needed to see him, to see with your own eyes that he was all right.

  You slowly twisted the knob and pushed, movements hesitant still but determined, before stepping in.

  He was there, lying on his back and hollow pants escaped his mouth but he was no longer groaning, no longer writhing, his face no longer scrunching. He looked...better than he had earlier, which was enough for now.

  Carefully, you stepped over to him, placing a stool nearer to his bed, not wanting to wake him up. He probably wouldn't wake, wouldn't even notice you were there. He was still too early in the recovery stage and mind still too muddled with medicinal herbs to be alert enough, but you still didn't want to risk it.

  You sat there for the rest of the afternoon and the very next day too when Lady Morgana kindly let you have the day off. You were there whenever you could be.

  Sometimes you read, sometimes you knitted, sometimes you just sat there, absently stroking his hand as you thought about anything and nothing at all but never about what caused this whole situation, but most of all, you were there, ready and waiting, for when he woke up.

  You’d always be there, even when he didn’t want you to be. You would be there for when he needed you.

 Always.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed the story! :D  
> Kudos and comments are always appreciated. :D
> 
> Here's my [Tumblr](https://ladycookiecupcake.tumblr.com)


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